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MADDER ROOT ( RUBIA TINCTORUM )
Definition of Madder
Madder is a perennial plant with evergreen leaves and small pale yellow flowers. The roots can be over three feet long, and are usually harvested in the second or third year of growth. Considered an ancient or heirloom dye plant; madder has been used throughout history for the brilliant orange and red hues it can produce.
Alizarin is a red dye found in the roots of the madder plant and the powdered roots are used
directly in the dyeing process.
Madder Plant
The common madder can grow up to 1.5 m in height. The evergreen leaves are approximately 5 –10 cm long and 2–3 cm broad, produced in whorls of 4–7 starlike around the central stem. It climbs with tiny hooks at the leaves and stems.
Madder Root
The roots can be over a meter long, up to 12 millimeters thick and the source of red dyes known as rose madder and Turkey red. It prefers loamy soils ( sand and clay soil ) with a constant level of moisture. The root of madder is the source of Alizarin.
Color Spectrum
The Madder Roots has been used for centuries to produce a red dye to color wool, cotton, leather and other textiles.
Depending on the type of mordant used to extract and “fix” the dye, various shades can be obtained, from saffron to turkey red and madder lake.
Madder Root Powder
Madder Root Powder is an herbal powder that has been used for thousands of years to produce a red color that ranges from pink to scarlet.
We use traditional methods (Stone Mill) to prepare Madder Root Powder, which guarantees the final quality of the product.
